Expression pedal control system providing reverberation and having latch means



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Filed Dec. 16, 1959 HANERT J. M. EXPRESSION PEDAL CONTROL SYSTEM PROVIDING REVERBERATION AND HAVING LATCH MEA 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 31, 1963 J, HANERT 3,116,358

EXPRESSION PEDAL CONTROL SYSTEM PROVIDING REVERBERATION AND HAVING LATCH MEANS Filed Dec. 16, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Dec. 31, 1963 Filed Dec. 16, 1959 NERT 3,116,358 EXPRESSION PEDAL CONTROL SYSTEM PROVIDING REVERBERATION AND HAVING LATCH MEANS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 n2 OREAN VIBZATO PEDAL A Z4 D l vlsloN "-II (5HOWN m OFF PosmoN) AMpup gz ALQOMPXJREBLE. @1 |5z VOLUME m' fi C ONTROI I or=r= l4- 2; H50 2 114 5! KNEE He IE'iz OPERATED SOLO D\Vi5\ON. 0

6 s4 REvERaEzATloN -DE'\/\C-E Z MPuFuER FF A Q I zevazaeszlmou 1b vlazm'c PEDAL will United States Patent 3,116,358 EXPRESSION PEDAL CUNTROL SYSTEM PRQVID- ING REVERBERATION AND HAVING LATCH MEANS John M. Hanert, Des Plaines, Ill., assignor to Hammond Organ Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 16, 1959, Ser. No. 859,959 1 Claim. (Cl. 84-125) My invention relates generally to electrical musical instruments and more particularly to improved control means whereby special musical effects such as vibrato and reverberation may be introduced rapidly by the player while playing on the manuals of the instrument.

It is thus an object of the invention to provide an improved electrical musical instrument in which switch and circuit means are provided optionally and rapidly cause variations in the character of the musical output such means being operable by the right foot of the player.

A further object is to provide an improved swell pedal shoe having an optionally operable switch means carried thereby.

Other objects will appear from the following description reference being had to the accompanying drawings in Which:

FIG. 1 is a block and schematic circuit diagram of one form of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a similar view of a modified form of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of an electrical musical instrument showing the swell or expression pedal and associated mechanism;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the swell or expression pedal as it is mounted in the console;

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of a portion of the expression pedal and switch mechanism;

FIG. 6 is a view taken on the lines 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional View taken on the lines 7- 7 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a block and wiring diagram showing a further modification of the invention; and

FIG. 9 is a view illustrating the manner in which an organist may conveniently operate the volume or expression control by his knee and with his foot operate the switch for controlling the introduction of the vibrato and reverberation effects.

In the past the conventional organ console has consisted of a system of manuals and a pedalboard together with one or more swell or expression shoes. Also there were provided a number of tone quality controls such as stops and a rather intricate system of combination controls of the stops, which were usually in the form of finger or toe operated pistons. While this form of console has been traditionally accepted as standard for organ music it, nevertheless, has several rather serious drawbacks.

One of these drawbacks is that when the player is playing with both feet on the pedals he cannot, at the same time, impart a desirable changing expression or volume to his music by operating the swell pedal. In an effort to overcome this objection I have, in my prior Patent No. 2,480,132, devised a pedalboard in which it is unnecessary, in most instances, to play with both feet in order to produce a legato effect. As shown in this patent, a legato effect is obtained by having memory switches on each of the pedals which retained a pitch or signal circuit operative with the correct pitch even after the pedal was released. Thus, the style of playing the traditional organ was shifted from that of playing with two feet on the pedals to that of playing with one foot only on the pedalboard, leaving the other foot available to operate the swell shoe in the desired artistic manner.

3,llti,ii58 Patented Dec. 31, 1963 This type of organ (also shown in Patent No. 2,506,451 to Laurens Hammond) has been accepted with great success by the public and many of these instruments are now in use as well as being currently manufactured. However, this organ still has a need for some means for rapidly shifting the tone color, as heretofore has been possible only with very complicated combination machines, for affecting the circuits controlled by the stop tablets or other forms of tone quality control.

The purpose of the present invention is further to modify the organ described in my prior patent to permit an instantaneous shift in quality while actually playing the instrument with both hands. At this point it would be well to state that the expensive combination mechanisms had the disadvantage that one finger or one foot was necessary to operate the pistons, thus artistically hampering the player in his continuity of finger and pedal operation. In the instrument disclosed in this application, this shift in tone quality is made with the players right foot which, with the pedal tone sustaining apparatus of said patent, is always available for this purpose.

In one form of the present invention the auxiliary control, which takes the form of a spring returned control, is imbedded within the swell pedal. In another form of the invention the expression and auxiliary tone quality control are separated so that the players right knee is effective to set the volume while the players right foot is provided with an auxiliary spring returned pedal for effecting a tone quality shift. With this novel form of organ console the player can cause very artistic and instrumental sounding tone quality shifts in the midst of his playing of the keys and bass tone pedals. There is no intricate form of preset or combination action required. Thus it is seen that the present invention constitutes an improvement on the prior patent referred to above.

Among the more important features of organ music resides in the fact that there is available a large variety of changes in tone color, tone intensity envelope, and vibrato, or non-vibrato, reverberation, or non-reverberative, effects, to enliven the music by playing certain notes or passages with one or a combination of these effects introduced and shifting rapidly to produce music in which one or more of these effects is omitted.

The general features of the invention are illustrated in FIG. 1 as applied to a more or less conventional two manual electric organ. In this figure a source of signals 14 under the control of the keys of the upper manual is provided together with a second source 12 musical tone signals under the control of the keys of the lower manual and a third source 11 of tones controlled by the pedal clavier. By means of a double throw manually operated switch 14 the signals under the control of the upper manual may be switched either to transmit the signals to a non-vibrato channel 6 in its OFF position, and while the switch 14 is in its ON position to transmit such signals to the non-vibrato channel in or, when a switch 18 is operated to its dotted line position by depression of a pedal 21, to transmit the signals to a vibrato channel 2i Both the channels id and 2d are coupled to a suitable power amplifier 22 having a speaker 24 coupled to the output thereof.

Similarly, signals under the control of the lower manual may be conducted through a switch 26 to the nonvibra-to channel 16 when the switch is in its OFF or dotted line position, and when the switch 26 is in its ON or full line position, the signals under the control of the lower manual are likewise coupled to the power amplifier through the vibrato channel 2d or through the non-vibrato channel 16 depending upon the position of switch 18. Some of the output of the power amplifier 22 may be supplied to a reverberation device and amplifier 30 3 when such device is rendered effective to closing a switch 32.

The pedal 211 and the switches 13 and 32 are spring returned to the normal positions shown in full lines, while the switches 14 and 26 may be individually operated by the organist.

The reverberation amplifier preferably has its output coupled to a second speaker 34. As an alternative, the switches 18 and 32 may be held by a detent or frictionally in either position and the pedal ill be pivoted so as to move these switches in either direction. Ordinarily, signals controlled by the pedal clavier 11 will be supplied only to the non-vibrato channel 16.

If the switches 18 and 32 are not maintained in either of the two positions by mechanical means a circuit airran-gement such as shown in FIG. 2 is preferably employed. In this figure parts corresponding to those previously described in FIG. 1 have the same reference characters applied thereto. In lFIG. 2, when switches 14 and 26 are in ON position, the tones controlled by both the upper and lower manual are supplied to the movable contact of multi-contact switch iii. A second multi-contact switch controls reverberation effects 42. These switches are mechanically coupled and are manually operable.

In the first (most counterclockwise) position of the switches 40 and 42, it will be apparent that, if the organ vibrato switches 14 and 26 are in their ON positions the signals from both the upper and lower manuals will be supplied to the vibrato channel 20 and operation of the pedal 21 will not have any effect. When the switches 40 and 42 are in their next (clockwise) position the outputs of both the upper and lower manuals will be connected to one pole of the pedal operated switch 18 and the signals will be fed to the non-vibrato channel 16, when the switch 18 is in its full line position, whereas when the pedal 21 is depressed and the switch 18 is in dotted line position of both manuals will be supplied to the vibrato channel 20'.

When the switch ll is in its third position the outputs of both manuals will similarly be supplied to the nonvibrato channel 16 when the switch 18 is in its full line position and when the latter is moved to its dotted line position such signals will be fed to the vibrato channel 20. In addition, a circuit will be tentatively completed, to render the switch 32 operative, when the pedal 21 is depressed, to cause the reverberation device and amplifier 3% to be effective to transmit signals to the speaker 34.

When the switches 4t) and 42 are moved to their fourth or lowermost contacts, the signals from both manuals (or either of them, depending upon the positions of the switches 14 and 26) will be supplied to the vibrato channel 20, whereas, when the pedal 21 is depressed the signals from both manuals will be supplied to the vibrato channel 20 and in addition by closure of the switch 32 the reverberation device and amplifier 3d will be rendered effective to transmit reverberant signals to the speaker 34.

It will thus be seen that a variety of musical effects may be obtained and that the signals controlled by the upper manual may either be made by means of switch 14, be supplied directly to the vibrato channel 16, or when the switch is in ON position the signals from this manual may at will be supplied to the vibrato channel 2t Similarly, depending upon the position of the switch 26 the signals from the lower manual may be supplied directly to the non-vibrato channel 16 or be supplied to the switch 18, and thus, upon the depression of the pedal 21, may be transmitted to the vibrato channel 25 and that by proper setting of switch 42 the switch 32. may optionally be effective, upon depression of the pedal 21, to introduce reverberation into the signal by rendering operative the reverberation device and amplifier 3%.

In order to make this apparatus musically useful to the greatest extent, it should be capable of being rendered operable substantially instantaneously and for any length of time. For instruments of the type employing a swell or expresison shoe operated by the player, there is provided a swell shoe 54} (FIGS. 37) suitably pivoted upon studs 52 extending through downwardly extended flanges 54 a plate 55 forming the main structure of the shoe. The upper surface of the shoe preferably has nonfriction pad 56 cemented thereto. An offset bracket 58 is fixed to one of the side flanges 54 of the shoe, and at its lower end is pivotally connected to the lower end of a link so. The opposite end of this link is connected to a volume control such, for example, as that shown in my prior Patent No. 2,646,468. A suitable bracket having a pad 67, is riveted to a housing "64 surrounding the expression pedal mechanism, and forms a limit stop for pedal movement to its open position. A bracket 62 and pad 68 limit movement of the shoe to its closed position.

A switch lock 70 is mounted for sliding movement on the swell shoe and has generally upwardly turned end portions 72 and 73 which may be engaged by the foot of the player to move it between dotted and full line positions PIG. 5 and 7). This lock has rigidly secured thereto a plate 75 and a bar 74. The latter is suitably guided by its ends extending through slots formed in the flanges 54 and is held in adjusted position by spring detents 76 FIG. 5 which are conformed to engage in notches 77 in the plate 75. These parts 70, 74, and 75 are secured together by bolts 80 with spacing washers 81 between the lock 70 and the bar 74.

An auxiliary pedal 84, generally rectangular in shape, has its rearward end secured to the toe end of the shoe plate 55 by a phosphor bronze short leaf spring 56 the ends of which are secured respectively to the shoe plate 55 and the auxiliary pedal 84 by bolted or riveted clamping strips 87 and 88.

The plate 75, as best shown in FIG. 5, is provided with a rectangular opening 90 through which extends a part of a generally Z-shaped bracket 92 which is secured to the auxiliary pedal 84. When the lock bar 70 is moved to the right as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7 (to the left as shown in FIG. 4), the portion of the bracket 92 which extends through the hole 90 underlies the plate 75 and thus holds the auxiliary pedal 84 in its down position against the force of the spring 86. A felt surfaced downstop bracket 96 is secured to the swell shoe plate 55 while an upstop bracket 98 is secured to the auxiliary pedal 84. A pair of miniature switches 10f) have operating pins or plungers 102 which are engaged by the lower surface of the auxiliary pedal 84. These switches are mounted upon a bracket 104 secured to the swell shoe plate 55. The switches constitute the physical embodiment of those schematically illustrated as switches 18 and 32 in FIGS. 1 and 2.

When the invention is to be employed with an instrument of the type shown in my prior application Serial No. 800,257, filed March 18, 1959, or any similar instrument in which the expression or volume control is accomplished by moving the players right knee against a spring biased lever, the embodiment may well be in the form shown in FIG. 8, making unnecessary the use of the usual swell pedal and more particularly the auxiliary pedal mounted on the swell shoe. In this figure the organ generating system, the manuals and parts operating thereby are indicated by a single block which is coupled to an amplifier 112 provided with a knee operated volume control 114, including a spring biased lever 116, and the output of the amplifier is coupled to a speaker 24-. As in the previously described embodiments, the reverberation device and amplifier 30 is also coupled to the output of the amplifier 22 and feeds a speaker 34. A vibrato frequency generator 118 is normally coupled to supply a vibrato frequency modulating signal to the organ division 110 but may be rendered ineffective by closure of series connected switches 12% and 121, to ground the vibrato signal insofar as its effect on the organ division 110 is concerned. The switch 120 is manually operated while the switch E21 and other switches are operated by a pedal 122 which is positioned for convenient operation by the right foot of the player (see FIG. 9), while he is still free to operate the volume control lever 116.

ll lanual operation of switch to its dotted line position causes a wide vibrato signal to be impressed on a conductor 126 while movement of a switch 128 to dotted line position results in impressing a narrow vibrato on the conductor 126. Switch 1%, operated by the pedal 122 when in its full line position, connects the conductor to the generating system for the solo generating system which is likewise under control of the manuals of the organ division 1129 and has its output connected to the input of amplifier 112. When the pedal 12?. is depressed to move the switch 13% to dotted line po. .ion the vibrato signal is not transmitted to the solo division but the lower contact is made for the purpose of compensation by tuning the solo division to a frequency intermediate the slightly sharp and fiat frequencies alternately introduced by the vibrato.

A switch 134 in its full line position is in series with a switch 136 the latter being operated by the pedal 122. With the switch 134, in dotted line position the reverberation device and amplifier are rendered effective and the speakers and thus produce the same tones except for reverberation. However, when the switch 134 is in its full line position the reverberation device is ineffective so that the reverberation device may be turned on and oil by the switch 136. Thus, depending upon the positions of the switches 12% and 128, the player may, by depressing the pedal 122, make the vibrato signal etlective on the organ division 11%, and ineffective on the solo division 132 and, at the same time, assuming switch 13 is in its full line position, render the reverberation device etlective.

Thus, the player may rapidly change the organ division tones to sound with vibrato when the pedal is not depressed, cause the organ tones to sound with or without vibrato depending upon the position of switch 120, while the solo division is sounded with vibrato either wide or narrow, depending which of the switches H4 or 1255 is in its dotted line position, while the reverberation device may be effective or ineffective depending upon the position of switch 136.

On the other hand, by depression of the pedal 122 the organ division tones may be sounded with a vibrato, the solo division tones without vibrato and the reverberation device rendered effective, assuming switch is in its full line position. Thus, a wide contrast in the tonal output of the instrument as a whole may be accomplished very effectively.

Another very interesting musical effect may be obtained if the pedal 122 (FlG. 8) also is effective, when depressed, to render the solo division 132 effective. The solo division has circuitry which includes a conductor which must be connected to ground in order to permit transmission of the signal to the amplifier 112. A conductor 15% is connected to this said conductor and is normally connected to ground by a manually operable switch 152. However, when the switch 152 is moved to its dotted line position a switch 154, also connected to conductor 1%, is adapted to connect the latter to ground when the pedal 122 is depressed. Under these conditions, the instrument may be played in the usual manner and the highest or lowest of the keys depressed will control the production of a corresponding solo tone of corresponding pitch but such tone signal will not be transmitted to the amuplifier until the pedal is operated to close switch 154. The addition of the solo tone to the output of the organ division constitutes a pleasant variation in the overall tonal output or" the instrument. Of course, when the switch 152 is in its full line position the operation of switch 15 will have no chest and the solo tone signal will be supplied to the amplifier 1l2 whenever keys in the solo register are operated.

With the auyiliary pedal mounted on the swell shoe, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 7, the player can, with very little effort, substantially instantaneously cause substantial changes in the character of the tonal output, especially with res act to lack of, or addition of, vibrato or reverberation, or both. The player is thus able to render a selection in a manner providing greater and more frequent variations to introduce contrast in e tonal character, and thus render the selection to provide greater musical interest and artistry.

Similarly, by the use of the right hand pedal controlled means for changing the character of the music produced and by controlling the volume or expression by means of a knee operated lever as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 8, and 9, the musician may accomplish the above mentioned artistic results, and in addition have immediately ellective means to cause the addition of the solo tone.

While l have shown and described particular embodiments of my invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous modifications and variations may be made in the form and construction thereof, with out departing from the more fundamental principles of the invention. 1 therefore desire, by the following claim, to include within the scope of my invention all such similar and modified forms of the apparatus disclosed, by which substantially the results of the invention may be obtained by substantially the same or equivalent means.

I claim:

In an electrical musical instrument having electrical musical tone signal generating means, an output system including first and second channels and electroacoustic translating means, means in the second channel only for introducing a vibrato effect in the signals transmitted therethrough, means for controlling the volume of the tonal output of the instrument, means for selectively causing transmission of the tone signals through either the first or second channel, both the volume control means and the channel control means being positioned to be independently operable at the same time by one leg of the player by movement of the players leg in different directions, said volume control means comprising a pivoted swell shoe and the channel control means comprising an auxiliary pedal pivoted to the swell shoe near the toe end or" the latter and operable by pressure of the toe portion of the foot while the latter is resting on the swell shoe, and means for latching said auxiliary pedal immovably in one of its positions with respect to the swell shoe, said latch means having an element for the actuation thereof, said element being positioned to be moved by side-to-side motion of the players foot while the latter is resting on the swell shoe.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,823,569 Doerr Feb. 18, 1958 2,905,040 Hanert Sept. 22, 1959 2,953,958 George Sept. 27, 1960 2,986,953 DeArmond et a1 June 6, 1961 

